Campbell (knee) questionable, 3 limited practices

As are A.J. Brown (ankle) and LT Will Campbell (knee). It’s a rare day where all the injury news went right for a team. We can’t imagine Henderson will be in large for a particularly big backup role behind Rhamondre Stevenson, but the fact that a player the Pats didn’t even really “need” for Week 6 is giving it a go suggests he is close to regular health. Henderson is a boom/bust FLEX option. Inactive for the Patriots are CB Carlton Davis, CB Karon Prunty, QB Behren Morton, CB Channing Canada, OT Dametrious Crownover and TE Tanner Arkin.

The same is true of left tackle Will Campbell, who also went down with an ankle injury in Week 5. It’s a remarkable turnaround for Henderson, who was initially expected to miss multiple weeks with a high-ankle sprain. He was limited in practice throughout the week before being listed as questionable on Friday. We expect Henderson to be on a pitch count this week, but he’s still capable of breaking a long run on just a few touches. Henderson is a high-risk FLEX play for Week 6.

The Patriots’ left tackle seemingly has a chance to play in Week 6 against the Jets. According to Mass Live’s Mark Daniels, Campbell “was out here moving well in full pads,” and lined up with the starters during the portion of practice open to the media. This is great news for Drake Maye.

Campbell went down with what looked like a serious injury in the first half of New England’s win over the Raiders. He did not return to action. Campbell, per Pelissero, will be “week to week” headed into Week 6. The Patriots will likely be without him this weekend against the Jets.

Campbell will undergo an MRI tomorrow to fully assess the injury, but it seems likely that Drake Maye will be playing without his left tackle for a few weeks. They face the Jets, Bears and Dolphins over the next three weeks. Keeping Jets rookie EDGE David Bailey at bay could prove challenging.

Campbell had his leg rolled on in the second quarter and was down in obvious pain for a while before being helped off the field. Campbell was taken to the locker room for further evaluation and seems unlikely to return today. An extended absence for Campbell would be a tough blow for Drake Maye and the New England passing attack.

Vrabel on Tuesday offered a vociferous defense of the rookie following his postseason struggles while playing through a major knee injury. “Will is 22 years old. He’s our left tackle. He’ll get better. He’ll get stronger,” Vrabel said. “There’s plays he’d like to have back. We’re not moving Will to guard, center, tight end or anywhere else.” Pro Football Focus graded Campbell 110th out of 200 qualifying offensive linemen in pass blocking this season. He was graded 81st in run blocking. Campbell allowed nine sacks in 2025, the third most among all NFL offensive linemen. Assuming he’ll undergo offseason knee surgery, Campbell should be good to go for the 2026 season.

Campbell said the injury was no excuse for his abysmal play in the postseason, including in the Patriots’ Super Bowl loss to the Seahawks. Campbell was overwhelmed by the Seattle front seven from start to finish, as Drake Maye was pressured on 29 of his 53 drop backs and sacked six times. Campbell will presumably have offseason surgery to fix the injury. Hopefully for the Patriots, Campbell — the fourth overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft — will be better in 2026 than he was during his disastrous finish to the 2025 campaign.

The Patriots’ rookie left tackle is active for the first time since Week 12. He could be on something of a snap count as he looks to get his legs back ahead of the postseason, but the Pats remain in contention for the AFC’s No. 1 seed, if only faintly. Perhaps Campbell will play more than expected if circumstance dictates. Inactive for the Patriots are OT Marcus Bryant, OG Caedan Wallace, QB Tommy DeVito, EDGE Harold Landry, LB Robert Spillane, DT Khyiris Tonga and OG Jared Wilson.

Campbell was placed on injured reserve after suffering a torn MCL in Week 12 against the Bengals. The 21-year-old left tackle will have his 21-day practice window opened this week. He’s eligible to return from injured reserve for Week 18’s matchup with the Dolphins, though the Patriots will have to see him practice first. If all goes well, it looks like the Patriots will be getting a big piece of their offensive line back ahead of a potentially deep playoff run.